Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-06-30
ALL BUT HANGED.

uiulbclly Il -TcpOHAeu ulIcCllg ~ u hifAo
ion commander, whom l never met
without being forced to notice the fact
that he was the worse for liquor. Later
on in the war there was a chief fofscouts,
but at this time there were half dozen
of us taking orders direct from this gen.
eral and reporting back to him in per-
son. On my third trip / was very near
ly captured by the rebels, and in the
squeeze got rid of all my papers, in
cluding the pass which gave me en-
trance and exit to the federal lines.
Therefore, when finally reached the
Federal picket post / had nothing by
which to identify myself. The officer
In command Of the reserve picket post
was smart Aleck, who thought to add
to his importance by refusing to believe
my story and send me to the headquar-
ters OF the brigade. There I was re-
garded as veritable rebel spy, and the
General in command was extremely
pompous in his demeanor toward me.
/ can remember the conversation as
vividly as If it took place yesterday. BY
the time / reached his tent my arms
had been tied behind me, and l was
looked upon as very dangerous fell
low.
$50 you are the id spy captured
down there at the picketw shouted the
General as stood before him.
"I am no spy, sir" Ireplied.
"Oh, no, Of course not; but don't you
talk back to me, you Internal traitor!
Who sent you spying into our camp"
81 am Union soldier, strand belong
.to-n
"Shut up, you scOundrel! Don't think
that YOU can stand there and lie to me.
What rebel command do you belong
to?"
'None, sir. am union scout, and
was detailed"
"Stop?n he shouted, while his face
grew crimson. "While the truth may
not help you, 1 hate to see you stand in
the presence of death with lie upon
your lips. Guard, remove him"
1 was taken away and confined in
guard house, but not very long. In
about an hour was taken to another
tent in the same encampment, and
entered to find four or five general oth-
GERS present. 1t was to be drum-head
court martial. AS I afterward learned,
a report of my capture had been sent to
headquarters, and Mcclellan had re-
Piled: "Try him by drum-head court
martial, and if found guilty hang him
at SUNRISE" A drum-head court mar
tial is a dignified farce. 1t is convened
to convict. The idea is that the victim
is guilty, but must be disposed of ac-
cording to the regulations of the War
Department. The fact that l openly
and boldly approached the Union picket,
and that I was coming from the rebel
lines, carried no weight in my favor.
The officer of the picket said was GER
tainiy a spy, and that settled it. When
thew finally cOndescended to hear
my explanation I gave my pane, and
stated that the general to whom made
my reports would identify me. stood
in neither awe nor fear, knowing how
easily 1 could be identified. Some OF
the members of the court were opposed
to giving me this chance for my life,
but it was finally decided to despatch
an orderly and adjourn court for an
hour. l was conducted back to the
guard house to wait, and when again
taken before the officers l expected to
be discharged without delay. You can
therefore imagine my feelings when l
was informed that Gen. .----utterly
repudiated me. My regiment company
were dozen miles away, and felt that
it would be useless to ask further delay.
In ten minutes l was found guilty, and
sentenced to execution at sunrise, and
before midnight scafiold had been
prepared.
Why had Gen.--denied my identi-
ty? The only excuse could offer for
him was that he was drunk when the
messenger reached him, and such
proved to be the case. Reused from his
stupid sleep, he had winked and blinked
at the communication and made out a
portion of it, and then flung it down
with the assertion that he knew no one
of nv name. The gallows was erected
within few rods of where l was con-
fined. Some beams and boards were
taken from an abandoned house and
the structure was very rude affair. i
could plainly hear every blow struck,
and the fellows engaged in putting It
up seemed to want me to Overhear their
unfeeling remarks. About an hour be-
fore daylight curious change took
place in me. began to wonder if
was really the man claimed to be, and
it wasn't Is minutes before had come
to the conclusion that was some one
lin fact, a rebel spy, as they declared.
This Idea took such firm lodgment in
my mind that would have honestly
denied my real identy. / felt that had
been fairly tried and honestly con-
yicted, and that / ought to suffer death
There was no particular terror in the
idea. The only thought about hanging
which made me cringe was the fall
through the trap. 1t seemed to me as
reflected OH it that the pain would DC
something awful, but was consoled al
the same time with the reflection thai
it would soon be over.
Half an hour before sunrise | was
brought out and escorted to the foot o.
the gallows. If remember right there
was only about half a company of in
fantry on the ground. Only few o
the soldiers in camp were out to witness
the proceedings. They had graciously
provided me with spiritual consolation
In the presence of a chaplain, but
though the good man talked to me fol
ten minutes, ] did not hear one word In
twenty he uttered. was all the time
wondering how long before it would be
over, and every minute of dely made
me impatient. When the time came
for me to mount the scaffold / was real
" glad of it. There was nothing
in the sight of the dangling rope
to chill me. | took my place OIL the
trap, the chaplain uttered a prayer, and
then q soldier quickly tied my elbows
and ankles and nulled a cap over my